Garron looked at Leah, his expression still heavy with everything he had just seen.
"…can you walk?"
Leah nodded faintly. "I think… I can…"
Her voice barely held.
She pushed herself up, using the tree for support. Her legs trembled violently, barely steady beneath her weight. For a moment, it looked like she might collapse again.
Zyra stepped closer without a word. She adjusted Thalia's position slightly, securing her in front with both arms, then glanced at Leah.
"Get on."
Leah blinked. "…I can walk."
"Yes," Zyra replied flatly, "you can. But we need to move fast."
A small pause.
"Get on."
Leah hesitated; then slowly nodded. With weak effort, she climbed onto Zyra's back, her arms loosely wrapping around her shoulders.
Zyra shifted once, balancing both weights effortlessly.
"Hold tight."
They began to move.
No one spoke.
The silence stretched between them; thick, heavy, filled with grief that hadn't found words yet.
The forest deepened around them.
The mist curled lower now, brushing against their legs like something alive. The trees grew denser, their twisted roots rising from the ground like skeletal hands frozen mid-reach.
Then....
A sound.
Distant.
A long, dragging howl echoed through the trees.
Not like a wolf.
Something deeper.
Distorted.
It rose… then broke into a sharp, cracking screech before fading.
Leah tightened her grip slightly.
Another sound followed.
A low rumble.
Like something massive shifting far within the forest.
Branches creaked.
Something snapped.
Then silence again.
But not empty silence.
Watching silence.
The mist shifted unnaturally in places, pulling back from unseen paths, then folding in again as if hiding movement within it.
Far ahead.
A faint, rhythmic clicking sound echoed between the trees.
Irregular.
Unnatural.
Zyra didn't slow.
Valen's gaze moved constantly, scanning the surroundings with quiet alertness.
"Keep moving," he said softly.
Behind them.
Another distant roar.
Closer this time.
The forest didn't feel still anymore.
It felt aware.
And they were not alone in it.
Silence followed them for a while.
Only footsteps.
Only breath.
Only the distant, uneasy sounds of the forest pressing in around them.
Then Garron spoke, his voice low but steady.
"…what's the story of you two?"
Zyra didn't even wait a second.
"Oh, that's easy," she said brightly. "Me and him?"
She shifted Leah slightly on her back, then continued as if she were telling a casual story.
"We're bound together; very dramatic, very tragic."
A pause.
"And currently running for our lives from a demon queen."
Leah blinked slowly.
Garron's brows furrowed.
Zyra went on, completely unfazed.
"She wants to kill me, obviously. Long story, very personal, lots of betrayal, probably my fault a little; maybe."
She waved it off.
"But don't worry," she added, tilting her head slightly toward Valen, "this guy won't let that happen."
Valen didn't react.
Didn't even look at her.
Zyra grinned.
"He's a little bit powerful."
A beat.
"Just a tiny bit."
Valen sighed quietly.
Zyra continued, clearly enjoying herself.
"Together, we're basically unstoppable."
Another pause.
"Future legends, really."
She nodded to herself.
"We're going to get stronger, come back, and kill her before she kills us."
Silence.
Then....
"…that is not the plan," Valen said flatly.
Zyra shrugged.
"It should be."
Leah, still holding onto Zyra, stared ahead blankly for a second.
Then quietly muttered,
"…you two are insane…"
Zyra smiled.
"Correct."
Garron glanced at her again, his tone more serious this time.
"…what do you mean by bound?"
Zyra let out a small hum, like she was deciding how much to say.
"Well…"
She shifted her grip slightly on Thalia, then spoke casually.
"I bound him to me. With a spell."
A brief pause.
"Long story."
Valen didn't react.
Didn't confirm.
Didn't deny.
Zyra continued anyway.
"Now we share a connection."
She lifted one hand slightly as if listing it out.
"My healing… my strength…"
A small grin.
"His strength… his skills…"
She glanced sideways toward Valen.
"All shared."
Leah frowned slightly, listening.
Zyra went on.
"Good side for him?"
She raised a finger.
"He won't age."
A beat.
"Because I'm a high-ranking royal demon species. Once we reach a certain point…"
She shrugged lightly.
"We stop aging."
Garron's eyes narrowed slightly.
Zyra didn't slow.
"Bad side?"
She lifted another finger.
"If one of us dies…"
A small pause.
Her tone dropped just a fraction.
"…both die."
Silence followed that.
Even the forest seemed quieter for a moment.
Then....
Zyra clapped her hands together lightly.
"And that's us!"
Her grin returned instantly.
"Two brave warriors, bound by fate"
She lifted her chin slightly.
"on our way to become legends."
Valen exhaled slowly.
"…you say that every time."
"And it's true every time."
Garron didn't respond immediately.
His eyes stayed on Zyra.
But not with the same suspicion as before.
Now.....
There was calculation.
Concern.
"…you tied your life to his," he said finally, voice low.
Not a question.
A statement.
His gaze shifted to Valen.
Then back to Zyra.
"For power."
A pause.
His jaw tightened slightly.
"…or survival?"
Zyra didn't answer.
Garron looked ahead again, adjusting his grip on Henry just a little tighter.
"…that's not a bond," he muttered under his breath.
"…that's a risk."
Leah, on Zyra's back, had gone very still.
Her fingers tightened slightly against Zyra's shoulder.
"…both of you die…?" she whispered.
The words didn't sit right with her.
Didn't feel like something you say casually.
Her chest tightened.
Her mind flickered; briefly;
To Henry.
To Thalia.
To the way everything could just… end.
Her voice came softer now.
"…why would you do that…?"
Not accusing.
Not judging.
Just… trying to understand.
She looked at Valen.
Really looked this time.
He walked ahead.
Calm.
Silent.
Like none of it mattered.
But it did.
It had to.
Leah's grip tightened again.
"…you didn't have a choice… did you…?"
Silence settled over them again.
Only footsteps.
Only the low breath of the forest.
Leah's grip slowly loosened around Zyra's shoulders as exhaustion took over. Her head rested lightly against Zyra's back.
Then her eyes closed.
Sleep came suddenly.
Not gentle.
Not peaceful.
Darkness.
Instant.
Total.
She felt it.
A pull.
Not physical.
Something deeper.
Dragging.
A faint spark flickered from her fingers.
Thin strands of pale lightning snapping briefly into existence.
Gone just as quickly.
No one noticed.
Leah drifted.
No ground.
No body.
Only void.
Endless.
Cold.
Then.....
An echo.
Faint at first.
Distant.
"…ah…"
It grew clearer.
Stronger.
A voice.
Deep.
Demonic.
Layered.
"Well… well…"
The darkness shifted slightly.
A faint glow appeared far ahead.
A silhouette forming within it.
"Look at that…"
The voice curled around her, almost amused.
"Someone finally found their way back."
Leah couldn't move.
Couldn't breathe.
"I've been… so lonely…"
The silhouette stepped closer.
Or maybe it didn't.
It just was closer.
Watching.
Waiting.
Leah's chest tightened.
Fear rising,
Her mind screaming.
Then.....
Her eyes snapped open.
"HAH...!"
A sharp, broken gasp tore from her throat as her body jolted slightly on Zyra's back.
Zyra stopped instantly.
"What?"
Garron turned sharply.
"Leah?"
His voice carried worry now.
"What's wrong?"
Leah blinked rapidly, her breathing uneven as her eyes darted around.
Forest.
Mist.
Real.
She swallowed.
Her grip tightened slightly.
"…nothing…"
Her voice came out quieter than she intended.
Uncertain.
"…just… a dream…"